1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Sept 1, 2018 10:21:56 GMT
Got my Rush ticket for this afternoon, B11 Stalls! So excited! Sidenote: have any of us worked out if Steph or CJ are staying on as Standby Dorothy/Maggie or are they bringing someone new in? I believe I saw CJ tweet something like 'I'm actually leaving this time' so I don't think she's staying. No idea whether they'll keep Steph or get someone new in.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 31, 2018 9:49:25 GMT
Probably the same seat based on where the TodayTix seats are. It's a great view, the only downside is there isn't much space for the ushers to sell the ice cream during the interval so space gets tight. Although I did get to hear them discussing their take on Takao Osawa as The King (very diplomatic). Sounds like it - A18, slap bang between the percussion and the double bass? I agree, you get quite cosy with the ushers but otherwise a fab seat. At the matinee they were discussing who’d be on in the evening and how it would be the understudy King’s first scheduled show.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 31, 2018 9:24:52 GMT
I saw the matinee yesterday - front row aisle seat thanks to TodayTix and couldn’t have been better, great legroom and incredible view. The show was stunning. Sher is so refined in his direction, and the set has a wonderful sense of understated extravagance (those vines don’t look good up close though). Kelli is everything I’d hoped for and more - a masterful actress and the voice of an angel. Ken was over the top in the most perfect way and I thought nailed the role (and is a much better singer than I was expecting). I was glad to see that Ruthie was on for the show and thought her performance was also top notch, and her voice is beautiful. All three deserve Olivier noms. I was welling up almost every time Kelli sang and in full-on tears at the finale. I even managed to make friends with the guys sat next to me. A truly special afternoon at the theatre.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 31, 2018 9:19:06 GMT
I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much reverb on vocals. The four ladies were fantastic, although the band weren’t very polished and perhaps everyone would have benefitted from a little more rehearsal time. Still, there were some good song choices (I agree the first half was more interesting with some of the older MT numbers, the second was just crowd pleaser after crowd pleaser). Tucker’s voice was on perfect form and she was clearly enjoying herself a lot. Jones’ With One Look and Rose’s Turn were spectacular. Dearman’s I Dreamed A Dream was as close to perfect as I’ve ever heard. Khadime I hadn’t ever seen perform before and she really impressed, her highlight being the number from The Wiz.
I could’ve done without the cheesy presenter making us applaud everyone 5 times, but they gave the gals and gays a musical theatre cheese fest and that’s what we all want really isn’t it.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 27, 2018 16:09:51 GMT
This Thursday (30th) I'm hoping to get a rush ticket for the matinee of The King and I, then in the evening I'll be at Cadogan Hall for There Is Nothing Like A Dame
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 27, 2018 12:10:29 GMT
Seconded; 9 to 5 at the Savoy with an MT performer from last year’s Love Island as Judy. As ridiculous as it sounds, they hope to bring it in after Dreamgirls as a filler Yes I've heard the love islander doing 9-5 in town rumour too. Judy is not an easy sing, if she can't do it justice it will wreck the show. Oh dear... Someone page Sonia Friedman
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 27, 2018 11:52:32 GMT
I am pretty sure Kelli will get the Olivier. But hope Kristin comes to the west end. She might not, it'll be a strong year - Adrienne Warren for one, and possibly Eva Noblezada as well. It'll be interesting to see if Ruthie or Naoko (or both even) get nominated. Rosalie Craig stands a good chance of nomination as well! It'll be interesting to see how the nominations work with Ruthie and Naoko basically having shared the role 50/50 - could they be nominated together (assuming their performances are of similar quality, I've not seen the show yet)? Has that been done before? Either way, I'm guessing Patti will end up in the Supporting Actress category and will probably constitute pretty fierce competition.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 27, 2018 11:01:48 GMT
And Kyle Soller's performance needs to be seen across the two parts just to appreciate its utter heartbreaking magnificence. Totally agree - he’s outstanding and deserves the Olivier for this without question (although I said the same about Andrew Garfield and look what happened there...). In my opinion Paul Hilton was also brilliant and I’d love to see him get a nod for Best Supporting Actor.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 27, 2018 10:59:07 GMT
I agree with all that’s been said above - the climax of Part 1 is by far the most powerful moment in the piece, and Part 2 is in general much weaker. I imagine it’d be even less convincing if you didn’t have the rapport with the characters from Part 1. Also you miss two of the best monologues of modern theatre if you don’t see Part 1. Redgrave is excellent and very moving, but you’re missing the point of this play if you only want to see it for a chance to see her on stage.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 25, 2018 20:58:15 GMT
Just watched the TV broadcast of this and thought it was pretty spectacular. It was a sort-of-concert staging, with blocking but no dancing and cut-down book scenes with the inclusion of a narrator to fill in the gaps.
The LSO under John Wilson sounded simply sublime, and really showed off just how much of a genius Bernstein was. The creativity and variety of music in this score is quite something. I also thought that the cast were pretty much perfect - Nathaniel Hackman and Louise Dearman in particular, who have the perfect voices for Gabey and Hildy. I'd never heard of Barnaby Rea before but he brought exactly the right kind of comedy to Pitkin and had a gorgeous bass voice. I won't write about every single one of the cast, but I thought they were pretty outstanding.
Brought back fond memories of seeing the Regent's Park production and my first experience of Drew McOnie's choreography - tonight I found myself welling up at the Lonely Town pas de deux which for me was such a beautiful moment in that production. I only wish I could've been there in the RAH tonight - there wasn't one second that I wasn't completely immersed and inthralled in that wonderful score.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 23, 2018 16:44:45 GMT
I’m very jealous - I also mostly go to the theatre on my own, but find it very hard to strike up a conversation with anyone sat around me (even if they’re also obviously there alone). I’d give anything to be a bit more of an extrovert!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 21, 2018 16:06:44 GMT
I'll be a Tucker fanboy til the day I die and would be very excited if she were cast (although I do agree with ali973 about her having a very strong presence and would be fascinated to see how she handles a less in-your-face role), but my personal ideal casting for Jenna at the moment would be Rebecca Trehearn. She was gorgeous in Show Boat and I certainly think she has both the acting and vocal chops required for this role.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 21, 2018 6:59:12 GMT
I’m pretty sure Rachel Tucker teased that she had news coming later this month, so could be related?
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 18, 2018 18:39:30 GMT
Polycarpou would be perfect He would, but if he isn't Jewish, will there be some stupid campaign by the professional moaners to prevent him playing it? Hope not, as I agree it's a brilliant idea. Well most of these campaigns seem to be based on caucasian performers stepping into non-caucasian roles so I would hope that a man of Greek descent playing a Russian Jew wouldn't constitute a significant enough ethnic disparity to ruffle anyone's feathers. Those professional moaners will take any excuse though...
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 18, 2018 9:59:29 GMT
Polycarpou would be perfect. To be honest, I'm not sure I want to see another production so soon after Daniel Evans' fantastic CFT version last year, but Polycarpou would certainly make it very tempting!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 14, 2018 17:11:37 GMT
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 11, 2018 10:52:25 GMT
I think the recording is mostly good but there are some disappointing aspects - as a live recording it does very well, and is much better quality than the Legally Blonde and Kinky Boots London live recordings. While the balance is pretty good, there are moments in which the sound gets muddy, which affects the diction of the performers. Speaking of which, while Hadley Fraser, Summer Strallen, and Patrick Clancy all sound great and in my opinion are at least as vocally strong as, and in moments better than, their counterparts on the Broadway Cast Recording, Diane Pilkington and Ross Noble just aren't as impressive without their physical comedy to support their performances. Lesley Joseph sounds very good, and nearly reaches the very high bar of Andrea Martin.
The most disappointing aspect is the woefully thin string section - while it's easy to get away with small woodwind and brass sections in a band, strings are the one thing that are incredibly obvious when they're lacking! On the other hand, the album is fantastic value - £5.99 on iTunes for 23 tracks is virtually unheard of, and is peanuts compared to the £16.99 they're charging for the Bat Out Of Hell recording. I'm also very happy that my favourite vocal part of the show, Welcome To Transylvania, sounds wonderful.
All in all, I suppose I'd rather we had an affordable cast recording of a show that's only had a small run than no recording at all, but when you compare it to recent broadway cast albums the difference in quality is quite obvious. Why are West End productions so reluctant to invest in cast recordings - I suppose with lower ticket prices than Broadway shows there's less revenue to be used and I can't image recordings sell as well over here as they do in America.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Aug 10, 2018 10:36:17 GMT
Fab news, Linzi seems perfect for the role! I’m moving to London in September so will definitely try to see this in Wimbledon, although at the moment I can’t see any student discounts or ATG TheatreCard offers - stingy Kenwright!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 17, 2018 9:54:30 GMT
Thank you to MoreLife and gazzaw13 - your suggestions are very sensible. Perhaps I was looking for too deep a meaning in it, and had forgotten that with each scene being a memory, those from her childhood would of course be more hazy than those from her College years.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 15, 2018 16:00:21 GMT
I saw this last night - my first ever Lear! I hadn't appreciated just how bleak it is, but I suppose as it is a Shakespeare tragedy I shouldn't have been surprised by that.
Firstly, I think Jonathan Munby has done an amazing job with this. The modern setting isn't jarring at all, and the 3.5 hours fly by (even the Icke Hamlet started to drag a bit for me, but this didn't). I also thought the set design was fantastic - deceptively simple but very stylish. McKellen is, of course, marvellous. He is particularly strong in Acts I, II, and V, although I felt that he definitely went for 'unravelled' rather than full-on 'mad' in the middle acts. I would've liked to see him take it a little further. The stand-out performance for me, though, was Kirsty Bushell as Regan. I thought her portrayal was spot-on in the context of this production. She really came into her own in the eye scene, where she showed the Regan's true nature uninhibited.
I thought that Acts I-III were better than IV and V, but I have a feeling that's down to the text rather than the direction. In the former, it's all about the build-up of tension and compounding of lies and deceit, whereas in the latter we basically just watch everything fall apart. Regardless, I never lost interest and remained engaged in every scene. Definitely worthy of the transfer to the West End, and it'll be interesting to see whether it yields any Olivier noms.
4 stars
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 15, 2018 15:43:48 GMT
I saw this at the matinee yesterday, and while there were moments that were absolutely brilliant and brought me to the verge of tears, I felt that there was something missing. Firstly, I love Jeanine Tesori's style of composition - I'd heard snippets of the score beforehand and didn't really 'get' it, but as was the case with Caroline, Or Change I found that in the context of the show the music is genius. In particular, numbers like 'Ring of Keys' and 'Telephone Wire' that are all about the unspoken are brilliantly written. 'Come to the Fun Home' was hilarious and great fun, but the Partridge Family-style number was less convincing. The acting was for the most part very good - Cherelle Skeete pitched Joan perfectly and Jenna Russell did very well as Helen. Eleanor Kane was hilarious as Middle Alison, but seemed to keep returning to her hunched-over-grasping-at-the-air stance a little too often. The vocal performances were good but not outstanding - annoyingly, I felt that the strongest voice on stage was Ashley Samuels, who only got one number.
For me, the piece worked extremely well up until the last couple of scenes. All of the commentary on sexuality and familial relationships was presented excellently, but then there was no real conclusion. I understand that the whole point of the show is to examine the lack of closure that Alison has regarding her relationship with her father, but still I feel that for a stage show it needed something more concrete to finish on. Also, I loved the house reveal, but why did we need it? And why at that particular point in the show? Every scene up until that point has used the set to suggest environment rather than creating it explicitly, so why do we suddenly need to see it for real? I suppose that scene represents a very significant moment for Alison, but I'm still struggling to understand the reasons behind that particular choice.
3.5 stars from me.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 14, 2018 8:24:14 GMT
Fun Home and King Lear for me today!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 13, 2018 10:59:02 GMT
(In regards to me messages just up the page) I'm not sure what Melissa was meaning then since they've just announced the new casting and she isn't in it. Maybe she is getting involved with the production backstage rather than on stage since she does pretty much say that she will be involved with the show in her tweets. She could be replacing Rebecca as cover for Margaret and Miss Hedge? At a quick glance, there doesn't seem to be anyone in the main body of the new cast announcement that isn't listed as a named character and fits the age range.
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 13, 2018 10:33:13 GMT
Extension and new cast announced - Now booking to 20th October 2019. From 22nd of August the cast will be Craig Gallivan as Dewey with Jake Sharp as his alternate and Laura Tebbutt as Rosalie, Alan Pearson as Ned, Michelle Francis as Patty. I hadn't expected to make a return trip to this, but Laura Tebbutt really made an impression with her Fruma-Sarah in the CFT's Fiddler, so I might go back to see her as Rosalie!
|
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Jul 13, 2018 10:25:42 GMT
New cast announced - Rebecca McKinnis (previously understudy Margaret and Miss Hedge) to take over as Margaret and Lee Ross (who?) will play Hugo/Loco. Link to WOS articleReally glad to see Rebecca promoted - I've not seen Josie in the role but Rebecca was fantastic when I saw her!
|
|